Hunting Hearts
by FushigiNinjaHikaru
Summary: The Surgeon of Death has yet again created devastation that shook the world when He presented the hearts of a hundred pirates to the World Government sometime after the War of the Best. However, no one else aside from Law and his crew knew of their short encounter with a pirate that not even the World Government fully recognizes. Law x OC
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1:**

It was just another normal day drifting in the sea by the Heart Pirates- and by 'normal' for the Heart Pirates, it was the usual hot, and windless day wandering in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the Grand Line. They were submerged about an hour ago but Bepo could no longer hold his steam when they came across underwater volcanoes. The heat was too much for the bear to bear and so when his request was approved by the one and only captain, they surfaced.

As soon as the submarine had reappeared, Bepo ran to the deck as if it was his first time seeing the sky. "H… Hot" Bepo fanned himself with his paw, looking weary and tired. His sweat protruding from his face and his fur was all wet. His fellow crewmate, Shachi followed behind. The sun was up; it was still noon. The overwhelming heat made Shachi frown and thought it must be hard for Bepo.

"You have it rough, eh?" He comforted his bear friend while fanning himself with his hand. Bepo nodded. "very hot isn't it?" He added. "We must be near a Summer Island…" Bepo replied. "Is that so? I hope we land soon I don't like drifting in the sea when it's too hot." His bear friend nodded in agreement. "I hope we go to a Winter Island soon…"

"You know, a Summer Island's not so bad. I wish I could have an Ice Cream right now…" Shachi started to drool as He averted his thoughts from the heat to the Ice Cream.

"Ice Cream, huh? I'd like to lie in a bed of Ice…" Bepo's eyes sparkled and stared at the clouds. Clouds are white, he thought, and Polar caps are white, He thought. Ahhh. Ice, Ice, Ice. But his friend Shachi wasn't so amused. "What are you talking about? There's no way you can sleep in a bed of Ice in a summer Island!" He joked. But instead of laughing, the only response the bear could make was an apology. "I'm so sorry…" He sulked.

Soon, Penguin went to the deck; but not to join the typical conversation of his friends, but because he was sent by his captain to call for everyone to assemble. "Shachi, Bepo, sorry to bother you when you guys are enjoying but Captain's called for us. So we'll be using the deck for a while" Penguin grinned. Shachi and Bepo didn't mind as long as it was outside.

Law was lying on his back, and stared at nothing but the grumbling of the ceiling fan in his room. He could hear the noise outside, voices of his men screaming, calling for one another. In about five minutes, he would have to go out of his cabin to face his crew and tell them about his plans. He had his plans alright. He closed his tired eyes. Thinking of nothing but the devices he's been making for the past few months. And how long has it been since the Marineford war?

The men gathered together in the deck, chitchatting about what the Captain would have to say. Is it another adventure? Another one of his schemes? But those chats and questions with one another stopped when their captain entered the deck.

Law positioned himself in front of his men. He sat on the deck together with everyone. His huge sword leaning on his left shoulder. Bepo was awake, so Law didn't have to lean on him.

"Men…" He started. Everyone looked at him with eager eyes. Like the eyes of men ready to follow their leader. Law smirked. "This task I'm going to assign to you is very important. I want you to know that with what we will be doing, we will be prone to danger." His men gulped altogether. "I have bigger plans… But for now, what I will be telling you is this." He remained silent for a while to see if someone would have anything to say.

"Men, I will be aiming for the title of the Shichibukai…"

Law smirked as He saw his men's eyes widen in astonishment. Even the bear was not spared.

"And to achieve that, I have to meet certain degrees of requirements…" Some of his men gulped out of fear and shock. Someone who could no longer contain it raised his hand and voiced his concern.

"C… Captain! But that's dangerous!" his men in white overalls said while raising his right hand. "Aiming for the Shichibukai means making enemies out of pirates who hate the Government!"

"That's right; it's going to be dangerous…" He replied as if He didn't care. The plan was going to go on, regardless. "Even I cannot guarantee your safety and your life…" he added.

"So what are we going to do, Captain?" Penguin who sat in front of Law asked with a hint of hesitation in his tone. Law took his time before He answered. No point in hurrying, he wanted to surprise his crewmates. "For the time being, we will dock in the next Island and scout for Pirates. Don't touch them; just tell me if you will find any pirate whose minimum bounty is worth 10 million Bellies. Got it?"

His crewmates nodded and lastly "Men are you going to follow me?" Everyone shouted their YES. Even the men, who were fearful, were carried along. They knew that even though their captain had crazy ideas in mind, He was still their Captain, and they believed in him regardless.

In the Island of Namae nai, located somewhere in the Grand Line, a Pirate was wandering on her own searching for something even she herself never knew of. All she knew was that grief and solitude had brought her into the very Island she was stepping on.

She had been in the Island for the past two weeks and even though she hated the Summer Sun, she found herself unable to leave the place. Her log pose had finally adapted to the next Island's log but still, she was in the Island for certain reasons she couldn't fathom. She often called this 'Fate' or it might just be her indolence from packing her things and moving to another Island.

From her inn, she took off and went to the restaurant she recalled to have become her favorite ever since she came to the Island. It was named 'Pop dessert' the most famous dessert house in the Island of Namae Nai. She sat in the counter and ordered the best Ice cream in town. As the owner served her order, she rolled her sleeves up to her elbow and dug in.

"Chiaki-chan, when do you plan to leave this Island?" the fat old man who owned the restaurant asked. He already grew fond of the girl ever since she first came and ate in the place. "You want me gone already, old man?" She asked in humor while stuffing herself. "No, of course not you silly girl. But if you go, we'll miss you terribly…" He replied. "I'll probably still be staying here for who knows how long? There's no need for me to rush…" she smiled and heir typical conversation went on with smiles and laughs and Chiaki ordered a bunch of his Ice creams.

Unknown to the people in the Island however, was that the Heart Pirates had already made its way to town. They had already docked at midnight, and infiltrated by morning. Men in overalls had already started their search for pirates with a minimum of 10 million Belly bounties. It just so happened that the Captain, together with Bepo and Penguin had decided to go to the nearest restaurant that serves anything cold when Bepo could no longer bear the heat, and so he repeatedly begged his Captain for anything that could satisfy his craves.

"Captain! Captain!" Bepo called. "Just one… just one I promise!"

"Aren't you the annoying one, Bepo. You're slowing the Captain down!" Penguin complained.

Law realized it wouldn't be so bad to stop by. After all, Pirates are known to gather at places where food is abundant.

"I don't mind, let's go." He replied.

They came across Pop dessert, and by the time Bepo determined that the place harbored his cravings, He spent that last of his energy and ran for the place. Bepo might seem to have forgotten his purpose, but Law never did.

The place was big and full of people. Some wannabe pirates were also gathered, something Law was not looking for. Some typical Island dwellers were also there, a little bit of music that livens up the place. But something was bothering Law. He sat at the corner together with his comrades, and ordered while observing a group of men just ahead of them. Cigarettes were lit, their faces covered by their hats, and weapons hidden underneath their clothes. Law knew they were bounty hunters.

Bepo finally had his share of something cold and busied himself stuffing the food in his mouth while Penguin did him some reprimand. But Law was eager to know who the target was.

His concentration was broke when a sudden laughter was heard directly from the bar counter. "You seriously screwed up, Old man! HA HA!" the girl in the counter laughed. "Yes, I did. I don't even know why I came to be a restaurant owner when I couldn't even cook! Ha Ha!"

"That girl… is worth 15 million Bellies…" the man across Law whispered to his comrade. "Not only that… She was a Whitebeard pirate before its whereabouts became unknown. She's been spotted recently wandering around the Grand Line sometime after the War of the Best."

 _Bingo._ Law thought. He looked at the girl with long black hair tied in a loose ponytail, a cap in her head, and wearing a dark Blue hoodie in a summer island- in the counter who laughed as loud as she could while talking to the owner. If she truly was worth 15 million and a Whitebeard pirate, then she is just the right candidate.

After chitchatting with the owner, Chiaki decided to go back to the inn and spend the rest of the day to drown herself with her thoughts. She passed from alley to alley, knowing the fact that she was being shadowed. She knew they were bounty hunters. When Whitebeard was still alive, nobody dared to take the head of a Whitebeard pirate because they know the risky consequence. But when Whitebeard died in the War of the Best, the bounty hunters took advantage and it didn't surprise her that some were after her. Whitebeard was gone, she was just a nameless pirate that only had her bounty recently after she accidentally made a mess in some previous Island; more importantly, she was one of those men who supported the crew from behind the front lines. She had none of that inhuman strength or devil fruit abilities, or cool titles. Of course, bounty hunters would come after her. And this time was no different.

As she passed through a narrow alley, men in black started to appear. Sharp eyes pierced through, and pistols emerging their pocket were aimed at her. She looked at them and didn't flinch. Soon enough, one of them talked.

"Give up now, little girl…" a stout man with a squared mustache said while pointing his pistol. "If you come with us peacefully, you won't be hurt…"

Chiaki smirked. Of course they'd want her go without resistance. If she ever did and died, they would lose half the bounty. She stuck out her tongue and lifted her middle finger and said "Not a chance you bearded pig!" This made the old man mad and pulled the trigger.

Chiaki missed the bullet by a hair but still thankful she did. She took out her knife from underneath her jacket and fought her way out of the mess. About 15 men were after her already. Probably too much for her to handle, but she had no choice. Kicks and punches, pistols and clubs were after her. One after another, she evaded and blocked them all until the men were tired. "Ha, that all you got?" she probed with cockiness while panting for air. The man who tried to shoot her was disgusted. He signaled and raised his left hand. A man with a bazooka emerged from behind, his weapon aimed at none other the one with a 15 million belly bounty.

She frowned while stepping back a bit, knowing that the wisest thing to do would be to run away. "Well what the heck…" she murmured with a faint smile. The man smirked and said "The age of Whitebeard is over, girl. We will hunt you one by one until none of you are left. We will be the next to rise…" He laughed hysterically.

 _Bluffs._ She thought as she sulked at the man's remark of Whitebeard's ended reign. She knew Whitebeard was gone, but whenever Whitebeard was insulted, she couldn't just stand and listen. The Old man meant a lot to her, after all. She stepped forward, ready to fight again. "Say that after you beat one of Old Whitebeard's weakest crewmembers you bearded pig!" she said. There was no turning back, and it was too late to run when the guy decided to fire the bazooka.

 _Room._

A sphere that seemed to have dark Blue shade covered the area. Men started to yell at the top of their lungs, as sounds of clanging and slashing were heard. Chiaki covered her face as the smoke from the fired bazooka spread all over the place. _Shambles._ She heard someone say, and the men who attacked her screamed again.

She didn't know what happened apart from the Blue sphere and screaming men. When the smoke subsided, what she was the men who attacked her, dismembered.

Her eyes widened. Shocked, confused, relieved, and scared at the same time. A young man in his twenties suddenly appeared when the smoke subsided. His face painted with nothingness. In his right hand was a large sword, resting on his shoulder, He wore a Black and Yellow hoodie printed with most likely to be a Jolly Roger, and weird hat with a weird pattern.

"U… Um…" She tried to speak in spite of the awkwardness. This was probably the person responsible for all the havoc. But it did save her. "I don't know who you are, but you did save me…" The young man didn't say a word but continued to make his way towards her. Somehow, she knew she had seen the face somewhere. "Thank… you…" She said hesitantly.

When all the smoke had finally cleared, she remembered the person. And when she did, it was already too late. The person, whom she thought had saved her, was apparently after her, too.

 _Scalpel._

He said as he stuck his hand into her chest, and her heart went flying towards the back. Penguin, who had been hiding behind had caught it.

Chiaki felt something ache, but then she couldn't register what had happened. She started to lose consciousness and as she came falling, she caught another glimpse of her attacker. "What did you do?" she said softly as her voice betrayed her. No answer was heard as she stumbled.

 _Trafalgar Law._ She remembered now. _Worst Generation. The Surgeon of death._


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

The sun had already set by the time Chiaki woke up to hollow sensation she felt in her chest. She groaned as she sat up, and frowned as she saw the familiar alleyway where she remembers being shadowed and attacked by men she never knew.

One of the Supernova and a part of the famous Worst Generation of Pirates saved her- or so she thought. She remembered him sticking his hand into her chest, in which she obviously got the wrong impression. "That pervert…" she murmured. She massaged her left chest where she felt the hollow feeling when it dawned to her what really happened. She felt in her hand a hole dug into her chest; by order of adrenaline, she immediately removed her hoodie jacket only to reveal her white shirt underneath. But it wasn't the shirt she was concerned of. It was the emptiness. As she peeked underneath her shirt, what she found was a literal square shaped hole in her chest, and the emptiness that resided in it.

A sudden rush of panic overcame her when she realized what truly happened. She didn't feel any pain, but she could see her veins, muscles, and other organs, still working as if nothing was wrong. Crazy, but it functioning even though her heart wasn't there. "What the heck…" she said in confusion. "What the heck's going on?"

It was as if she was whispering into the wind. There was no one in the alleyway but her. Stray cats that went along the way wouldn't be able to answer the questions that piled up inside her mind. But her ability to remain her composure during worst case scenarios saved her from further panic. That was a trait that saved her many times and enabled her to escape the wrath of death many times before and during her time as a Whitebeard pirate.  
"Trafalgar Law…"

Was the name of the person whom she listed as her first suspect. She didn't know how it came to be or how it happened. But if she were to find the answer and get heart back (if it was possible) then there was only one way to find out. _Find him, or die._

 _But how?_

* * *

"One down, 99 more to go…" the beloved captain of the Heart Pirates smirked as he held the beating heart of the girl he just ambushed the night before. He held the heart he just extracted, into his palm, covered in a jelly-like substance. Beating fast as if the owner was in a state of panic.

"Captain, Penguin here to report!" Penguin, one his most trusted men knocked on the door of his cabin. Law's smirk immediately turned his face a serious color. He hid the heart He just extracted from his first choice, into the hole he himself made into his chest. It was a habit, born out of his usual strategizing prowess; his usual strategy of taking his own heart while hiding it somewhere, and placing someone else's heart in his chest.

"Come in" he commanded. Penguin immediately opened the cabin door. "Pirates worth 150 million Belly combined spotted north of the town, Captain!" He saluted.

Law's ears twanged. "How many?" He asked as He turned around to face his subordinate.

"About five, Captain!" Penguin placed both his hands on his side and feet together.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Captain!" Law smirked. For some reason Luck was on his side on the first day of his hunt.

"Good… let's commence the plan…" He stood and picked his weird cap along with his Nodachi. "We'll check these pirates out and see their worth…"

He was about to exit when He saw the worried look on his comrade's face."What's wrong?" He asked. Penguin's worried look didn't vanish upon the follow up of his captain and instead voiced his concern.

"Is it alright, Captain?" His voice was shaky, and his posture began to fail him.

"Alright to what?" Law was almost sure it was because of his obviously dangerous plan of picking on dangerous Pirates.

"To pick on that Whitebeard pirate? You know what happens to those who harm them." Law sighed. He should have seen this coming. Of course, it WAS a taboo to pick on a pirate aboard Whitebeard's ship. But if there was any good time to pick on one, it was now. The Whitebeard pirates would never have the strength to retaliate after all that grief.

"Whitebeard is dead." He said bluntly "Even if that person still had the remaining Whitebeard crew members, they wouldn't have all the strength to fight for some petty comrade. A lot happened in that war. It wasn't only Whitebeard and Fire Fist who died in the war, there were many." He looked into the eyes of his worried comrade, who had his stare buried into the ground. "That person may be on my list of candidates, but still a no name pirate. They wouldn't bother."

Law was expecting to lift his comrade's spirit even a little. But Penguin still had that worried look on his face. He let out a big sigh and then "Are you scared?"

Penguin's eyes widened with panic. "N… No… Captain! Not at all!" He defended himself. He waved both his hands, a gesture that meant he greatly disagreed with what his captain said. His face covered in sweat most likely because of the thick overalls he wore, and because of the panic he felt upon his captain's question.

It took a while for him to calm down. He bent his knees a little and looked down. "Well, maybe I am scared. Not for myself, but for everyone and you, Captain." He confessed.

Law didn't utter a word. But Penguin suddenly felt a sudden rush of eagerness. No matter what Law plots, He was the man He decided to follow. And He will do just that.

"Captain, I will follow you forever!" Penguin then suddenly stormed outside and shouted "Men! We will commence the operation!"

Law heard the shouts of his men in united agreement. Law smiled and buried his face with his hat. It was one of those moments where He was glad to have found himself loyal men to be there for him.

* * *

She thought she had settled on looking for the Pirate who just made a burrow in her chest. But for some reason, she found herself walking in the middle of the summer Island, with no apparent direction. Ending up to the place where just started, people having no clues at all, and where to start. Her panic had only come into her recently and because of that, she wasn't quite sure where to start. Find Trafalgar Law, but where?

"Hey old man, have you seen a tall guy with a weird hat?" she asked the street vendor. "Well, I always see tall young men, little child." he replied. She knew at that moment that it was hopeless to ask. "Can you describe him specifically though?" he asked again. Unfortunately for Chiaki, the memory was so vivid she could not clearly remember how Trafalgar Law looked like at that exact moment.

"How about someone named Trafalgar Law? Have you seen him around?" she asked, seeing she no longer had any choice but to mention Law's name.

"Trafalgar… Law? that bastard pirate of the Worst Generation?" The old man's face frowned, a color of disgust was painted in his face. Chiaki could not help but agree to the old man's notion, setting aside the fact that she was a Whitebeard Pirate. "Yes, Yes! That creepy and disgusting Pirate!" She laughed.

"Unfortunately young girl, I'm afraid I've never seen before. Is he even here?" Chiaki's ray of hope vanished. "Never mind, old man. It seems like you don't know anything." She rubbed her temples and walked away. "Young lady, don't get involved with any dangerous pirate!" the old man shouted while Chiaki waved her hand.

Two women, a mother and a daughter were walking past her along with the other townspeople. The grim look on her face made her noticeable. She was lost; she didn't know what to do. _Maybe I should just give up_. She thought to herself.

"I'll bet dad will bring home lots of fish tomorrow!" the daughter smiled, talking to her mother. "That's right! How about we meet him tomorrow in the harbor?" The mother replied.

Then something from behind her head echoed in resonance.

 _The Harbor._

"Of course, the harbor. That's where Pirates anchor their ships!" She screamed.

The people who came passing by looked at her with big and curious eyes. For a moment, she felt stupid. How could she have wasted many hours of her life, wandering and wondering about where on this forsaken Grand Line could Trafalgar Law be?

Without a moment of hesitation, she immediately rushed into where his ship could possibly be.

It was during her run to her destination that she remembered when and where she first encountered the Pirate. She didn't meet him directly, but she had seen him during the Marineford war when at the height of the battle, Ace's brother was almost captured by the marines when He came to the rescue.

That time, she had pathetically rested somewhere in an abandoned marine ship after she was shot in the leg and beaten by the marines so badly, she could no longer stand and fight. Along with her comrades who were badly beaten, she was moved somewhere safe. When Ace, she couldn't do anything but pray that Ace's brother would be put to safety. She, along with many others, prayed for a miracle. _Let anything out of nowhere take this boy somewhere safe, for Ace and the Old man's sake._ She had prayed while tears came falling from her eyes. Then, out of nowhere, a strange Yellow submarine, emerged from below water. A weird bear like creature and a relatively tall man carrying a huge sword emerged out of the vessel and carried the young Luffy to safety.

How thankful she was that time that a certain Trafalgar Law existed. That Ace and Whitebeard, and the rest of the crew's wishes were granted because a certain Trafalgar Law existed. But now, she wasn't so sure.

 _The irony_. She thought to herself as she shrugged her thoughts away. Of course, she was thankful then. But she had to do something about her current situation. The important thing is, she knows what Trafalgar Law's ship, or submarine looked like.

It was already sundown when she woke up, past midnight when she found herself roaming aimlessly around town, and morning when she found herself in front of Trafalgar Law's Yellow submarine hidden behind the cliffs and trees somewhere in the harbor. Completely shunned from the world. She felt a pang of fear when the face of her attacker crossed her mind. Those sharp dark eyes that looked at her with no mercy. Strange abilities that smell of rotting death, and cold hands that know very well the touch of lifelessness. The thoughts made her question herself whether to go on, or just run away.

She took a step back and turned walked away with hesitation and doubts. _I could never beat him_. But she didn't go that far when she realized how pathetic it was. "Why am I running away now?" She irritatingly asked herself. "What am I so afraid of?" She slapped herself three times until the guts that forsakened her found its way again.

"Alright, I can do this! Let's go, Chiaki!" She made her way to the yellow submarine in wait and climbed to the deck.

It was silent, dark, and deprived of the people who live in it. The deck was empty as she walked towards the entrance in front of her. As she placed her hand on the lock, she turned the knob, only to find the door unlocked. She Opened the metal door and peeked into the obscurity there was. She raided pirate and non-pirate ships alike before, but this was the first she ever stepped on a submarine operated by pirates. In the midst of her search for her attacker, curiosity befell her.

She peeked into the cabin of the regular pirates in the crew. It Wasn't so surprising to see their rooms covered in mess. Blankets scattered on the beds, pillows all over the place, boxers, briefs, overalls, and other dirty unlaundered clothes piled like a mountain inside the dorm. The foul smell of men in a gather was something Chiaki knew so well, but never got used to.

Somewhere in the submarine was the kitchen. This at least impressed her as it was clean. "They have a good cook" she smiled.

She got to check the command are where the crew members navigate and steer throughout their journey. She sat there and pretended to sail and command in a strange yet advanced vessel. The technology impressed her as she never saw anything like it. "That's North Blue for ya!" she complimented. She knew North Blue was well known for its technological advances, but she never expected anything like this.

She came to pass by the Emergency Room. It was as she expected it. Well equipped, clean, and organized. "The Captain is a doctor after all." She smirked and scouted the room. All the Surgical instruments were put into well defined cabinets. The bed sheets and operating tables were clean indicating that the Captain had this room regularly checked. There were many instruments which she had no knowledge about, and medical equipments which she found weird.

It was then that she thought of seeing the Captain's quarters. Maybe she would take something to get the Surgeon of Death surrender her heart back to her.

Somewhere in the middle part of the Submarine, she found a door with a nameplate on it and written with 'Captain's quarters'. "This is it" she smiled. Unfortunately, when she turned the knob, it was locked. "Pshh, secretive guy" she murmured. In her pocket where she had knife reserves, she took out the smallest one. She did her usual thing. A role she was used to doing, opening doors the way bandits and pirates do it when stealing treasures. The door knob was firm, a mark of true North Blue craftsmanship. "You may be good and rigid and from North Blue, but you're not something I can't handle!". For only 10 seconds, she opened the door without any sound.

She slowly opened the door and peeked into the darkness that engulfed the whole room. She was waiting for any sign that someone was inside the room. She adjusted her breathing and listened carefully. It was dead silent, definitely no one was there. When the coast was clear, she invited herself in. Her eyes adjusted to the dim. She desperately wanted light, but turning it on was too risky, she wouldn't dare.

Slowly, she made her way to the Captain's desk, stretching her arms to make sure she doesn't bump into anything.

She made slowly and surely, but the darkness betrayed her and she bumped into something she could not define and she fell flat on her face along with it, creating noise that echoed throughout the room.

"Ou… Ouch…" She whined as she rubbed her head. She felt a sting in her hand when she tried to stand up. Opening her eyes, everything was dim still. But as soon as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she saw in front of her what seemed to be a human head but without a skin, muscles, and an eyeball.

She let out a small shout,and covering her mouth with her hand to conceal the scream with a terrified look on her face. She immediately found herself on her feet while slowly walking out. She tripped however, and this time fell on her back. But instead of it being just a normal fall, something fell from the thing she bumped and it landed straight to her face.

"W...what is it now?" She took the whatever it was that landed on her face. It was soft, and warm, a bit slimey she would call. But as soon as she held it, it started to move.

 _Ba-bump_.

She felt. Suddenly, coldness ran through her whole body, she was stiff. _Ba-bump_. It went again. At first, she thought that the soft material that landed into her, was none other than a human organ, but up close and holding it herself, it was a human heart, beating still.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAH!" A strong, and loud voice echoed throughout the submarine as she stood up fast and threw the thing she was holding somewhere- in panic and ran in circles inside the Captain's quarters. She searched for the door knob desperately. It was then that she realized that the Captain's room was a huge one.

She made a few steps back and bumped into something again, only to see a tall person with bulging eyes and with no skin, staring into her blankly. "What the… SHIIIIT!" She cursed as she ran past the skinless person. "WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THIS ROOM!?" She panicked, ran, and desperately searched for the doorknob and be done with the Captain's Room. She definitely will give up on whatever she could use to blackmail this Trafalgar Law. "THIS GUY IS CRAZY!" She screamed.

The silent hallway suddenly became filled with panting sounds and the steps of no other than the intruder, Chiaki herself. It took a while before she came to find the exit, and immediately found herself away from the monster's lair.

"That guy… What the heck… That guy is crazy!" she murmured. For a moment, she became hesitant on facing the person to convince him to return her heart. "I wonder what he's doing with it right now. For the moment I'm still alive." She pondered while journeying still, somewhere deeper into the submarine. "I'll still get my heart back, He's not getting away with it."

The determination she lost again returned for another moment when she started doubting again. She let out a small sigh and said to herself "Why, Chiaki you weak coward, no wonder Ace and the Old man died…"

She was about to turn back when she spotted in front of her, a door that seemed to her was no longer opened for the longest time.

"What's inside this door? It seems like it's abandoned." She turned the knob slowly only to discover it wasn't locked. She peeked inside, where only darkness greeted her.

She frowned. "This better be not one of those weird rooms…"

The smell of dust accompanied the darkness, and a big figure that seemed like a table greeted her eyes.

Slowly, she made way for it. A smile became painted across her face when she saw what the table-like figure was.

"Ah! a Piano!" She rejoiced. The Piano was covered in dust. She opened it cover, and played with the keys. On the Piano was a small lamp she lit. With it, the keys became clear in view. She sat down, and played.

For the first time in a long time after the crisis aboard Whitebeard's ship, she found herself playing the piano again like a pirate should in a party. For the whole duration of her playing, the Heart Pirates' ship was filled with beautiful music, Pachelbel's Canon in D played in resonance. Something the ship was deprived of.

With her eyes closed and music, she found herself slowly giving in to stress. Her eyelids closing, and the weakness that took over. She finished that one song, and sat beside the piano, leaning her head against it, and giving in to sleep.

* * *

Somewhere in the Heart Pirates' ship, inside the men's dormitory, there was one of them who remained to guard the ship. However, in the middle of his guard, he found himself sleepy, and decided to nap. But when his nap turned into a deep sleep, he dreamt that someone played the abandoned piano beautifully. Music he's never heard of in his entire life, but was dying to hear it once more.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3:**

"Hey, Hey… Don't tell me this is all you can do?" Law stood across the beaten pirate he came to test. Cold Gray eyes looked down upon the pirate he tested "I expected a lot from a crew of 150 million's worth, you know." His Nodachi leaning still into his shoulders, and a disappointed look spread across his face.

The Pirate was on his knees, weak and defeated. He coughed blood as the pain in his body took its toll. Three of his teeth went missing, his crew no longer able to help and chopped into pieces by their attacker. "What do you want with us, Trafalgar Law!?" The pirate stood up and picked his sword regardless. Not losing hope yet, He charged with all his might against his fellow pirate who swooped his entire crew in the blink of an eye.

Law didn't even need to use his Devil Fruit ability to make the finishing blow. All he needed was a "Bepo"- he called out and everything was done in an instant. The bear flew from out of nowhere and beat the crap out of the nameless crew's captain with his unique Kung Fu.

Although the fight was a sure win, Law could not contain the disappointment. The Pirate lay in his back into the dirt, weak, and utterly defeated. "Hey…" Law looked down upon the pirate as his cold, gray eyes crushed the very heart left of his enemy. "Before you beg for your life, I want you to answer my question first." the pirate shivered.

"Your bounty and your crew's, are they authentic?" the pirate gulped. A Weak sound and creaky voice answered his question. "N… No…" replied the captain. Law frowned. "They were… false posters… please… don't hurt… me any…more" The pirate pleaded.

For a moment, Penguin who reported the Pirates' location and their bounties felt a sudden guilt. "C… Captain! I'm very sorry! It's my fault for not checking properly!" Penguin lowered his head, expecting a good, cold scold from his captain. Law sighed. "No, forget it. We were just checking them out anyway. Next time, we'll need to be careful." Law looked into his comrade who still had his head down. "For now, we return to the ship. Let's go."

Without a moment's hesitation, the rest went with the Captain. The corpses of the pirate crew they attacked were lying unattended and only the voice of its captain's sobs could be heard. Deep in thought after a false report, Law felt a sudden ache in his chest. He grunted as he felt his chest tighten.

"What's wrong, Captain?" the Bear asked. Law gritted his teeth. There was no reason for his chest to hurt. As a doctor, he knew perfectly well how to take care of his own body. "No, nothing. Let's hurry to the ship." He was on his feet again as he tried to deduce what could've possibly happened. And there was only one he could think of.

It was already morning by the time the Heart Pirates reached their ship which they anchored somewhere far and desolated from the main harbor. Everyone was in a hurry when their Captain informed them on the way of the Ship's possibility of being attacked.

Law stepped into the deck and investigated his ship. His eyes stared on the floor where small patches of dirt were scattered. _Someone really did come here._ "Who's on watch?" He asked.

"Shachi, Captain" one of his subordinates answered.

Law didn't answer back but ordered his men to check the ship. His men hurriedly went to check the ship. Men gathered and scattered into groups, searching every inch and corner of the submarine.

Bepo went inside the cabin, dismayed when he found the watcher fast asleep and was snoring loudly. "Wake up you idiot!" Shachi felt a pang of pain bump grow as Bepo hit him hard in the head. "What's your problem you fuzzy bear!?" Shachi screamed while caressing the newly born bump . "While you are here snoring and taking your time, our ship is being attacked!" Bepo retaliated. "And I'm sorry".

Law on the other hand, knew where to look. He hid his Heart in the most obvious hiding place. His cabin. Truth be told, He wasn't afraid of the ship being attacked at all. What He was afraid of was the possibility of his heart being stolen.

Slowly, he opened the door to his quarters. The knob was easily opened and cranky, an indication of lock-picking and of infiltration. His doorknob was especially made to prevent and make lock-picking a difficult task. However, someone was able to accomplish this.

It was just like he expected. The room was messy. A telltale sign that someone must've searched the whole place for something valuable. "Tsk" he said as he regained his composure despite the panic that slowly made its way out. The skeleton model he had ever since he got the ship was lying on the floor. He took a closer look and crossed his brows in disappointment when he saw the left arm of the model detached from the whole shoulder. He continued to search everywhere. The Muscular model was also on the floor which he deduced was knocked down. The papers, books, lamp, and other materials he perfectly arranged and organized in his table were either on the floor or were messed. But most of all was his disappointment on the bookshelf. It had his precious med books where he learned Medicine. Also, it contained confidential materials. And as far as he remembers, it was where he hid Heart.

He made his way towards the slanted bookshelf and the books that scattered around the floor. Law still felt the tightness in his chest. Slowly, he placed the shelf in place and picked the books one by one and placed them in their proper places. As he picked the books, he felt the tightness slowly fading. Suddenly, a slight movement underneath the pile alarmed Law. For some reason, his instincts kicked in and immediately searched for the source of the movement.

His eyes widened in shock as he saw his heart covered in jell-like substance. It was there and no one took it. He was relieved, yes but also puzzled. What did the intruder want?

Bepo ran towards Law's quarters to report. "Captain, nothing suspicious found in the shi- What!?"

Law turned to look at his navigator. He held his heart in his left hand, and a confused look all over his face. "Captain, what happened here?" Bepo asked his captain. "That I don't know. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the ship?" He asked again. "No… nothing…" Bepo blinked, still lost in thought. "Is that so…" Law was confused. Even more than before.

Chiaki woke up to the sound of heavy footsteps and the sound of men screaming.

"What's with the ruckus…" she rubbed her eyes and yawned, still detached from the world.

"Someone made a mess out of Captain's quarters!" One guy shouted.

"What!? that bastard... find him!" shouted another accompanied by other men shouting in unison.

Her eyes widened as she then realized her current situation. ' _They're… they're here!'_ She started to panic. ' _Wha… What should I do?'_ engulfed in darkness, She hid behind the piano as she began to think what her next strategy would be. ' _Damn, I fell asleep! Stupid, stupid, stupid me!'_ she cursed under her breath.

The sound of footsteps and shouts of men became louder as the men were in uproar over the infiltration of the ship. doors were opened and closed as they desperately searched. _'The... They're going to find me, what should I do?'_ She was unaware that along with her panic, her heart was beating madly. She never knew because her heart wasn't with her.

"Hm?"

Law felt the beat in his chest growing faster as his men became even more aggressive in their search for the infiltrator. He placed his right hand in his chest and felt the heartbeat. It was the heart of the pirate he ambushed lately. He knew this heartbeat too well. This was the heartbeat of a cornered animal. Law smirked. He knew what to do. Law was quick on his foot as he went to the bridge. "Captain, there's nothing in the bridge, there's no one there…" Bepo said while following his captian. "I know… I just need to clear things with the infiltrator." He smirked again. Inside his technologically advanced bridge, Law sat in front of the wheel with his legs crossed and picked the microphone.

He smiled.

"Infiltrator…"

Everyone stopped. Law's voice could be heard all over the ship. Bepo stopped and Law's crew silenced their screams and stopped their search in order to listen to the Captain. Chiaki heard it as well. She fell into even greater panic, sweating heavily. Her panic made Law confident as he felt her heart beat even faster in his chest.

"I know you're in here."

Chiaki gulped.

"Whatever your reasons are for coming here, I do think I have a clue. So you came here as an enemy and now you're trapped like an animal in a cage."

Hidden inside the stock room, Chiaki was cold and nervous. ' _Shit…'_ She silently cursed. She could feel the tears in her eyes but she refused it. She buried her face and secretly let the tears out.

"Any methods of escaping would be futile. I have complete control over this ship."

What would old Whitebeard say? Would Ace laugh at her? What would her comrades say to the cornered her now?

"Come out and surrender or I drag you here. Choose."

 _Pathethic. What a weak coward I am…_

"What's wrong?"

She heard the Captain speak again.

"Come out now or I'll come and get you…"

' _I hate this guy, but there's no way I'll win.'_ She pondered to herself. And she was right. There was no way she could win against a pirate with a 200,000,000 bounty and a renowned captain of a ship. _'Geez, how did it come to this, I only want my heart back!'_ she scratched her head violently to vent her frustration.

"Are you scared?"

She stopped.

' _Scared? Am I scared?'_ She said.

"I'll give you Ten seconds to show yourself to my crew who's everywhere searching for you, or to me who's in the bridge. If you voluntarily surrender, I'll spare you. But if you don't cooperate, you'll be punished."

 _Punishment._

"10…"

Chiaki closed her eyes and breathed slowly to calm herself.

"9…"

' _If you're always afraid, you'll never find your way out…'_ She smiled as she remembered Marco's voice.

"8…"

' _No one hurts a child of mine…'_ She remembered Whitebeard enraged after a crewmember was attacked during one of their travels.

"7…"

She stood up.

 _'I'll always be glad to have you as a comrade!_ ' she remembered Ace.

"6…"

She remembered the horrifying view when Akainu's fist pierced Ace and when Whitebeard fought until his last breath as a last ditch for them to escape.

"5…"

' _Am I scared?'_

She opened the door and ran as fast as her legs could take her.

"Yes I am scared!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Law's men were alarmed as they heard the door to the abandoned room open and the sight of a young girl making her past them. "Th… there!" One of Law's men shouted. Chiaki ignored the scream and made her way to the deck.

"4…"

Law smirked as he heard the shouts of his men. "She's here…"

"Catch the intruder!" One of Law's men wearing wearing a big hat that almost covered his eyes, made his way to the escaping intruder. He opened his arms and aimed at the escapee in hopes of pinning her down. But Chiaki was quicker. She ran even faster and before she knew it, the guy was left behind.

"3…"

Law felt the heart he stole beating faster inside his chest as the intruder was being chased by his men.

"2…"

"Damn it all!" She screamed as she saw the exit. "Just a little more..."

"1…"

She jumped with all her might and kicked the door open.

She smiled as she saw the light of the day. Finally, she was out.

Panting, she made her way to the other side of the deck, facing the ocean. She then examined the water and smirked. Slowly, Law's men were able to catch up and surrounded the defenseless escapee. Shachi came in last as he wasn't able to be there on the catch. He looked in astonishment to the person who wrecked their captain's quarters when he realized who it was.

"That woman…" He whispered.

Chiaki felt the intensity of the situation. Glaring eyes were locked into her, and there was no escaping. She broke in cold sweat as the crew slowly surrounded her. Chiaki slowly raised her hands and said "I... surrender". The men who chased her were confused and murmured to each other. Chiaki on the other hand faintly smiled.

A thin Blue sphere suddenly appeared along with the sudden arrival of the Captain. Chiaki faked a smile as the Captain slowly walked towards her. _'Trafalgar Law...'_ she murmured. "Y... yo." she greeted the Captain with a shaking voice. Law wasn't even smiling. His cold eyes locked into the suspicious person who made a mess out of his room. Chiaki never liked being stared at and the situation made her feel uncomfortable her knees started shaking.

"W... What do you want with my heart anyway?" she panicked while putting on a brave face, yet obviously teary-eyed. Law did not reply. "You started it!" she pointed at the captain while shaking. "I, er... only want it back I didn't mean any harm!". There was only silence. Nobody, not even Law broke the silence. Chiaki knew that any talks would be futile to have her heart returned. And she knew either way that if she fought or not, she would die. She calmed herself down and no longer uttered a single word to explain herself. Law was surprised too. The heart that was beating so fast slowly made its way back to normal. Chiaki slowly backed until her she could feel the rails touch her back. She looked up to see the sky. Then she smiled. Her soon to be captors looked at her in confusion and so was the captain. She was perfectly calm. Law could tell.

"Hey, Trafalgar..." She broke the silence.

"Hm?" Law wore a confused look.

"I don't know what your reasons are but you need me, don't you?" Chiaki leaned backwards feeling her weight shift. Law's eyes widened as he saw Chiaki smile and about to fall.

"Alive, that is." She smirked one last time at the Captain as she completely fell from the Polar Tang's deck.

Law ran towards the rail and saw the water splash. "What in the-!?" he screamed. Everything happened so fast.

The place where they anchored their ship was a trench which was good for a submarine to escape. And true enough, she did jump but with the intention of dying. Law knew the value of a Whitebeard pirate especially now where the War of the Best was just months old and the World Government is itching to execute them. More so if it's someone with a bounty; and he was not going to let the opportunity get away so easily.

"Someone dive down and get her!" He screamed at his men. "aye Captain!" one by one, his men dived. "Captain, how about we submerge?" Bepo suggested. "You can't let anyone in while submerged, are you stupid?" Penguin replied.

Two minutes. Law felt the change in the heartbeat. "Shit... aren't they done yet?" He gritted his teeth while staring intensely into the water. Not for long, his men surfaced, panicking. "Captain, there's too many Sea Monsters!" They shouted. True enough, one Sea Monster that looked like a flamingo but with a fin, jumped out of the water creating a splash. The ship was shaking then and his men grabbed anything they could to prevent them from drowning. "Shit! So she was taking advantage of the sea monsters!" It was visible in Law's face that he was angry. "Room!" Law screamed as a thin blue sphere appeared from out his hand. He took his sword and slashed the seam monster into bits. The heartbeat was gradually getting weak. "Shit, at this rate, she's gonna die." Bepo felt the frustration of his Captain. He knew this was important to his captain and he was going to help him. Without a second thought, the bear dived.

Bepo swam deeper into the trench, feeling the sunlight leave, the pressure getting stronger. Left and right, he searched for any possible signs of the girl who jumped from the ship. Bepo was scared and he knew. He could feel the current change as sea monsters swam from place to place in search of a prey. Bepo was almost running out of breath and he needed to act faster if he were to accomplish anything at all. The sea monsters began to swim faster than the usual, circling one another creating a current in which Bepo found hard to swim in.

 _'What's with them?'_ He thought to himself while covering his mouth. Bepo observed the monsters. One had the head of an angler fish, but with a shark's body. That monster was being tailed by a large sea cow. As an animal himself, he could tell that the sea cow was disturbed by something. He looked at the Angler looking sea monster being tailed. He observed the Angler and found that there was something in its dorsal fin at the back. He swam towards the monster to take a closer look and found the girl stuck with her jacket pierced on the back with the dorsal fin. Bepo was surprised. He came closer and saw that the girl was no longer conscious. Facing the monster, Bepo made sign languages in hopes of communication. The angler stopped.

He waved his paws. _'Can you stop?'_ He meant by his signage. But the Angler ignored this and swam again in circles. He waved his paw again this time in desperation. He was almost at his limit. The sea cow, growing impatient decided to attack the giant angler looking monster. Bepo panicked. With the ruckus, he won't be able to save the girl anymore. But luck was on his side. When the sea cow attacked, Chiaki was detached from the dorsal fin. Bepo took the opportunity as the sea cow and Angler fought each other for meat. Swimming with his paws as fast as he can, he finally caught the girl.

All hope was almost lost for Law. The heart completely stopped as the tremors underneath continued. He was going to order another bunch of his men to go check on Bepo since the bear failed to surface for about Four minutes now. But as he was about to, Bepo came to the surface, carrying the Whitebeard pirate.

"We're sailing…" He told Jean Bart. "Yes, Captain!" immediately, Jean Bart and his group made for the bridge. Bepo carried the unconscious girl to deck.

"Captain, she's not breathing anymore!" Bepo cried as he lay the girl on her back. "Yeah..." he muttered. Of course, he didn't want the girl to die. But he wasn't in the mood for a CPR. "Sachi..." he said. "yes, captain!"

" perform CPR on her..." Law made his way for the door when Sachi said he forgot how to. "What?" Law asked. "errm... I kind of forgot how to do that..." Sachi said. "Pe... Penguin, how about you do it?" he passed the task to his crewmate. "N.. no way!" Of course, both of them would never admit they slept on the whole duration of Law's basic medical trainings. "How could you forget when I've taught you that dozens of times?" Law was furious. "S..Sorry Captain." was all they could say while bowing their heads. Of course, a bear performing CPR on a human wouldn't be an option either. Law had no choice. All his men went to their respective tasks to prepare to sail. Only he, the doctor of the ship was capable of doing so. He sighed.

He put his sword down as he kneeled across the girl. As a doctor, he was used to performing CPRs. But this was a different case. He placed his hands on her chests and started pumping. 10, 20, 30 pumps until Law felt her heart beat again. Law then placed his palm on her forehead, the other on her chin and tilted her head back to open her airways. despite her heart starting to beat, Law did not see any signs of her breathing yet. He frowned.

He pinched the girl's nose and leaned in closer. Slowly, he placed his mouth into hers and gave the first breath. Law felt her chest rise. He placed both his hands on her chest and started pumping, and did the process again. Law hated to admit it, but what the girl said was true. He needed her alive. She was an asset whether he liked it or not since she belonged to the pirate crew that the World Government despises- Whitebeard's. Sure he could just let this one go and search for a new one, but the chances of finding another pirate of good quality is slim to none. Just when he was about to give it another shot, he felt the girl breathe.

But was the girl really unconscious or was it one of her antics? because the moment the girl came into her senses, Law felt weak as the cold and heavy cuff tied itself into Law's left hand.

The girl smirked as she opened her eyes.

"Caught. You.~"

Law was furious.


End file.
